Chicago ♥'s Cheese- My First Visit.

Next week I'm going to ...... (insert excited drumroll here)... Chicago!

I'm super excited for my first trip. Besides whispers of occasionally slightly less-than-hospitable weather from my California state-mates who have returned from a trip, I've heard nothing but amazing things about visiting this city.

The food, the culture, the architecture, and, the drinks. Or maybe I'm imagining the drinks- I'm thinking it's a bourbon city- one that serves the whiskey poured over big ice cubes in highball glasses.

Back to the trip. Because my trip is book-related, this means that I'm lucky enough to be visiting amazingly delicious centers of eating and drink. I'm honored to be invited to teach, cook, sign books, and talk about domestic cheese at the following places.

On Tuesday, April 2nd, 7pm, you'll find me at The City Winery for: "It's Not You, It's Brie" by Kirstin Jackson: Book signing, cheese and wine pairing," where I'll be pairing five wines with five Wisconsin cheeses from my book (keeping the dairy regional) and discussing the pairings with the house sommelier.

Wednesday, April 3rd, I've got two things going on -lucky girl. First, I'll be stopping by Provenance Food & Wine in Lincoln Square, from 4-5:30 p.m to have a pre-cooking sip of wine and sign books.

An hour and a half later, you'll find me around the block at The Chopping Block Cooking School, 7-9:30pm. Here I'll be cooking two recipes from my book- Marieke Gouda toffee and Caramelized Onion-Mustard Seed Marmalade- and two more original cheese recipes for the class. It'll be like a dinner party, post happy hour (my favorite kind of dinner party), but you wont have to do anything.

Thursday,  April 4, 6-10pm, I'm heading to Fete Chicago. This is a pop-up market celebrating Chicago's food and design featuring over 40 regional artisans. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to taste all under one roof what the city's up to- have a feeling I've a lot to taste through. It's gotten some fabulous press and I'll be there sampling cheese from Wisconsin.

If you're in town, please stop by! I'd love to meet you.

And, because this is my first time, things I want to do when not eating cheese & booking it up:

1. Eat deep dish. I am aware that there is also cheese in this. I like this idea.

2. Mortadella Smear- Purple Pig.

3. Check out the amazing turn of the century architecture.

4. Go to Pastoral!

5. Check out some of these cocktails.

6. Eat Mexican food- I hear Chicago cooks some of the best Mexican cuisine north of the border, outside of California. Happy to test.

7. Wear enough layers. I hear it's not 68 degrees everywhere.

8. Walk (around, a bit around) Lake Michigan.

Should I add anything?